On the heels of a polarizing political New Year's Day – which featured an agreement to stave off the Fiscal Cliff, but no such vote on Hurricane Sandy relief – on Wednesday "Piers Morgan Tonight" guest host Wolf Blitzer welcomed Christine Quinn for her reaction to Congress's progress:

"I was stunned, it's really unbelievable," said the New York City Council Speaker, referring to Speaker John Boehner and the House majority's refusal to allow a vote on aid for those impacted by the October storm that pounded much of the Eastern seaboard. "We have countless people in New York and New Jersey who've been devastated by this storm, and quite frankly, Speaker Boehner just told them to drop dead. And it's just outrageous."

Following a tremendous amount of public backlash – most notably from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Republican New York Congressman Peter King of Long Island – Boehner and Republican House leadership announced they will vote twice in the next two weeks – first on Friday, and then once again on January 15th – in an effort to do right by the Tri-State area. Quinn will believe it when she sees it:

"I'm not going to be satisfied until it's done. Really? Speaker Boehner, as I understand it, gave lots of Republicans, members of Congress, other leaders in this situation, assurances that this would happen before this Congress left. It didn't," exclaimed Quinn. "What message has Speaker Boehner sent here? That people who are the victims of hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, things of that nature, natural disasters, that we become pawns in a political game?"

soundoff(4 Responses)

Sure, a shame we can't pay for everybody's new home who is wiped out. Within 20 years there will be almost
NO shoreline as we know it. I have home insurance and Fed. flood insurance. That should be required by
law, not just free handouts everytime something "happens" and "s..." is going to happen again and again.
Taxpayers around the country have allocated a tremendous debt to their kids, adding $60 billion(with a lot
of pork in it) of "relief" only adds to that debt.
Altho the Communist in the White House believes we should give up all our individual freedoms and bank accounts, I believe the strong, the wise, and the foresighted should prevail, and we need not give everyone
a free ride.

"So are you an indipendant, or do you think like CNN? The Debt-Cieling has risen seven times under Obama, and yet even though it was Obama who soent it, after getting the Congress to pass those bills; he's throwing all the blaim on th GOP??? How??? He spent (His Government) used it all up, and now it's sixteen trillion?? If it didn't effect Canada I wouldn't give a dam!!"

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